Quinoa and Black Bean Cakes with Cumin & Chile

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February 27, 2013•4 comments

Quinoa, spices pat into a tasty vegetarian burger

Breaking news: My husband agreed to eat one vegetarian meal per week. Upon hearing his statement, I had to act quickly. I remembered the quinoa burgers that I tasted at Campbell Soup Company’s headquarters, where their chefs whipped up all sorts of creative dishes featuring their flavorful broths. And I agree, why cook quinoa in plain water when you can cook it in delicious vegetable broth? That got me thinking about combining two of my favorite spices—cumin and chile powder, giving these patties a Southwestern profile.

Since quinoa is a complete vegan protein, you can count on these cakes doubling as your center-of-plate protein and whole grain. I recommend serving these with avocado for creaminess and salsa or taco sauce for an additional pop of flavor. You will find this gluten-free grain either in the natural foods section of your grocery store or with the rices.

In this dish ground flaxseed contributes fiber, omega-3 ALAs and phytochemicals while serving as the binding agent for all of the ingredients. Store open bags of flaxseed in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer.

In a medium saucepan, cover quinoa with water and soak for 5 minutes. Stir quinoa, pour into a fine strainer and rinse with cool water. Heat the saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add quinoa and white parts of scallions and cook until quinoa becomes aromatic and slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes to continue to absorb the moisture. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Push quinoa to one side of the pot and add black beans to the other side. Mash with a fork just until all of the beans have been broken in half, but are not mushy. Add green parts of scallions (reserving 1 tablespoon), bell peppers, lemon juice, flaxseed slurry, nutritional yeast, cumin and chili powder and stir all together with the quinoa and beans.

Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop the quinoa mixture and place into evenly spaced mounds on the sheet pan. Shape into 1/2-inch patties. Brush the tops with oil and bake for 20 minutes, until the cakes are slightly dried and cohesive.

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, cover quinoa with water and soak for 5 minutes. Stir quinoa, pour into a fine strainer and rinse with cool water. Heat the saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add quinoa and white parts of scallions and cook until quinoa becomes aromatic and slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes to continue to absorb the moisture. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Push quinoa to one side of the pot and add black beans to the other side. Mash with a fork just until all of the beans have been broken in half, but are not mushy. Add green parts of scallions (reserving 1 tablespoon), bell peppers, lemon juice, flaxseed slurry, nutritional yeast, cumin and chili powder and stir all together with the quinoa and beans.

Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop the quinoa mixture and place into evenly spaced mounds on the sheet pan. Shape into 1/2-inch patties. Brush the tops with oil and bake for 20 minutes, until the cakes are slightly dried and cohesive.